central heating

American  

noun

1. a system that supplies heat to an entire building from a single source through ducts or through pipes.

---

central heating British  

noun

1. a system for heating the rooms of a building by means of radiators or air vents connected by pipes or ducts to a central source of heat

---

Etymology

Origin of central heating

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

central heating

I received a similar question recently from a reader who had employed a heating engineer to fix their central heating.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026

Although there are lots of plug-in heaters on the market, Mr Trapp warned that these can often be more expensive than using central heating.

From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2026

The company's boats have central heating, flush toilets, and hot and cold running water, as well as hobs, grills, ovens and fridges.

From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025

Cow manure can be treated to release biomethane, a renewable gas which is already used to power central heating boilers in about a million homes.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

He’s big and bulky, all wrapped up in a tattered jacket even though the central heating is on full blast.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan